Camping Trip
by swimmerluver
Summary: In The New Gilmore, Luke and Jess went on a camping trip, but we never really knew what happened. Here's your chance to find out! Spinoff to The New Gilmore, switches between Luke and Jess's POV's. Read and review please!
1. Avoiding the Subject

**This is a spinoff from The New Gilmore. It would be good if you read that first, but if you don't want to, here's the cliff notes version. Jess just told Rory that he still has feelings for her, and she turned him down, saying that she loves Logan. Lorelai thought that Luke cheated on her, so she slept with Christopher. In The New Gilmore, Luke and Jess go on a camping trip, but since it's Daisy's POV, you never hear about it, you just see them again a few chapters later. Daisy is a girl that Lorelai adopted. This takes place somewhere in between "Fiasco" and "Diner Dialogue", chapters 10-16 of The New Gilmore. Here's your chance to know what was said on that camping trip.**

Jess's POV

I threw my luggage into the trunk, and sullenly hopped in. After what had happened yesterday, the last thing that I wanted to do was have some quality time with my Uncle Luke. I was grateful for the chance to get out of Stars Hollow, but I would rather be on a plane back to Pomona, where I went to college. I looked over at Luke. He looked terrible. I mean, I wasn't feeling too happy about what I did, but he looked like he was feeling way worse than I was. How could I have let my guard down like that again? I pushed my thoughts away from Rory, and tried to concentrate on Luke, but I couldn't get the image of Rory out of my head. Those few words that had literally stabbed a dagger through my heart.

_Well, maybe I don't want you. Maybe all I want is to be Lorelai Leigh Huntzberger._

Why can't she stay out of my head? I said to Luke, "So, you want to tell me what really happened yesterday?"

He replied, "Jess, do you mind if we just not talk about any of this right now?"

Fine by me, I just wanted to hear about his problems to get Rory out of my head. I said, sarcastically, "So, Uncle Luke, how is your life as a diner boy? Is flipping burgers really your life ambition? That's what I want to do when I grow up! Can you teach me how to be grumpy, and wear a baseball cap backwards? And could you show me where the best flannel store is?"

The whole time that I had been talking, he was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were past white, "Jess, I realize that neither of us is in the best moods right now, but could you cut down on the sarcasm? We're here to go camping, that doesn't include talking."

I replied, "Oh, really? That's odd, because I thought that I was in a particularly chipper mood this morning. So, what do campers do? Do we sit there and do manly-man stuff?"

He rolled his eyes, "Okay, now you sound just like….just like your mother."

Like my mother? Sure. I knew that I had sounded just like Lorelai, but I wasn't going to push that today. So I decided to do something fun. I announced, "Luke, I know who my next girlfriend's going to be."

He snorted, "Oh, really? Who's that?"

I replied, "Well, the girls seem to love me at Pomona. Supposedly, I'm the dark, mysterious guy. So, technically, it could be anyone. But I've decided to choose Hallie. She's a real math wiz."

"A math wiz, huh? What does that have to do with anything?"

Maybe the fact that I wouldn't have to discuss Hemingway with them? I'd never discussed math with Rory before, so this would keep my mind off of her, "Just watch and learn, Lukey."

"Don't call me that!'

"You get mad at the simplest things, Lukey." It was so much fun getting a rise out of him.

I dialed Hallie. What did I have to lose? I got her voicemail, "Hey, Hallie, it's Jess. I'm all the way on the East Coast. Yes, I know, east coast? It's nothing compared to where you are. Listen, Hal, can we hang out sometime soon? I'll talk to you later."

I hung up, and Luke burst out laughing.

He said, "That was the fakest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth."

I acted like I had no idea what he was talking about, "What do you mean?"

"Okay, number 1…you said 6 whole sentences. With Rory, the only word in your vocabulary was hi. Number 2…your voice was flat and boring and had no hint of sarcasm in it. Number 3…you love the east coast, maybe not Stars

Hollow, but you still love the east coast."

I replied, "So? I've changed."

He nodded, "Maybe, but not that much. Jess, why did you even call her? Did you think that talking to a machine would help you get over Rory?"

I shrugged, "No, but I'm also not going to sit around and do nothing for the rest of my life. I've got to move on, and at least have someone there who really cares about me."

He agreed, "Yeah, I guess you're kind of right. Maybe we should just cut the Gilmores out of our lives completely."

We sat in silence for a minute, each contemplating what that would do to us. I shook my head, "Normally, I'd be all for it. I don't want to hear about Rory anymore, and I don't care what Lorelai does. But I can't leave Daisy all alone. The look in her eyes when I left today was awful."

He nodded, "I can't leave Daisy either, I'm basically her father. And she's so vulnerable. I can tell that it hurt her when Lorelai and I didn't work out."

"Please. Didn't work out? You guys always find your way right back to each other."

He looked really uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "Listen, Jess, do you want me drilling you on Rory right now?"

Hell, no. He continued, "See? So we agreed to change the subject, so let's talk about you and school."

"What about school? In case you didn't know, it's where you read books and learn things."

He replied, "Really? Because when you lived with me you thought that it was something for skipping."

I laughed, "Stars Hollow High was something for skipping. And stealing baseballs from."

He lashed back, "I still can't believe that you did that."

"It wasn't a big deal." I looked up, and saw lots and lots of trees. Great. I was on my way for 2 days of living in the wilderness with Luke, of all people. I took another look at him, though, and realized that he really shouldn't be alone.

**Please review and let me know if I'm doing okay!! Next chapter will be Luke's POV.**


	2. Jess Can Cook?

**Luke's POV**

I looked over at Jess. He was busy cooking us dinner at the campfire. I was a bit apprehensive over the fact that he was making my dinner, but I decided to let him try. Even though I was bordering extremely depressed, I still had to take care of Jess, for Liz's sake. She hadn't seen him in a while, but he wasn't too excited about going when T.J. was there, so we were going to visit on the way home. I pushed all of the depressed thoughts out of my head. I told myself, "_Get a grip, Luke. She's just another beautiful girl that doesn't want to be with you. She's just another girl. Just another girl. Just another…"_

What was I thinking? Lorelai's not just another girl. I'm in love with her. I looked over at Jess, and said, "Hey, Jess, did calling Hallie make you feel any better?'

He gave me his classic look of scorn, while saying sarcastically, "Sure. Why not?"

I replied, "Fine. Then I get to call Rachel."

He almost dropped our dinner in the fire, "No you don't. Rory and I are different than you and Lorelai."

"How so?"

"Because Rory and I were never on the same page. I hurt her, then she hurt me, and the cycle just keeps going on and on. But you and Lorelai are good together."

I wasn't even in the mood for listening to him. I pulled out my phone, and dialed, "Hey, Rach, it's Luke."

"Luke! Hey, how are you?"

I simply stated, "I miss you."

I could almost hear her smiling over the phone, "Really, Luke? What about Lorelai?"

I tried to keep my voice flat, like saying her name didn't hurt me, "What about her?"

Rachel sounded frustrated, "Come on, you are going out with Lorelai, aren't you?"

I said, "Not anymore. How did you find out?"

"Find out? Luke, it was obvious from the start that you weren't focused on me anymore the last time I was here. You did go after her, right?"

I sighed, "No. I got married to someone else."

She sounded disappointed, "Who?"

I answered, "Listen, I don't want to talk about it. It was a mistake, and we got divorced. And yes, Lorelai and I did get together. But we didn't work out."

"So what, Luke? You can't just call me because you're depressed over Lorelai. I know that you still love her. If I thought that you didn't, I would be back to Stars Hollow in a heartbeat."

Jess was watching me with a grim look on his face. I suddenly realized that calling Rachel must have really hurt her. I said, "Listen, Rachel, I'm sorry for calling you up like this. I really shouldn't have."

She replied, "Then do me a favor. I know that we can't possibly be together. But, for my sake, make yourself happy. Go to Lorelai and fix whatever needs fixing."

I said goodbye to her, and sat there for a minute. Jess walked over to me, "Why did you do that?"

I jumped up, almost knocking over my chair in the process, "Jess, you need to sit right down and listen to me! This is my life! It is not any of your business! Rachel is an old friend of mine, and I have the right to call her!"

He backed off, "Sorry, Uncle Luke. Didn't mean to get you all flustered and angry. I thought that this trip was for holding hands around the campfire and braiding each other's hair."

He walked away, and I glared after him, hating how every sentence he said was sarcastic. As I slowly calmed down, Jess brought over the dinner. It was some kind of stew.

I commented, "Mmm, this is actually really good!"

Jess replied, "Gee, thanks, Uncle Luke! I bet that you didn't think I could cook, huh?"

I replied, truthfully, "Seeing as you lived with Liz for a good part of your life, then the answer is no. I didn't think you could cook."

He informed me, "Dad's new wife is a culinary student right now, so I'm picking up a few tips from her."

I looked at him carefully, and asked, "Are you happy in California?"

He nodded, "I guess. I like Pomona. And I think that I might live out there, get a job there somewhere."

"Oh, really? I thought you liked New York."

When he spoke again, his voice was laced with emotion, "It's too close."

And I knew exactly what he meant. It was too close to New Haven, and to Stars Hollow. And that reminded me-how could I keep working at the diner? How could I see her walk by with him on her arm? I don't think that I can handle it!

I said to Jess, "You know, you were really brave, coming here to talk to Rory."

He brushed me off, "I didn't come to see Rory. I came because Daisy seemed upset. We were best friends, and it only seemed fair to visit her."

He paused, and then continued, "But…when I saw her standing at the door, I forgot all about Daisy. I had to tell Rory how I felt. Big mistake, here I am, rejected again!"

I patted him on the back, "You know that I could never do that? I don't have the guts to go back there and talk to Lorelai."

He nodded, "I let Daisy convince me that there was something there, and that Rory's life was messed up. I thought that I could swoop in and be the hero, or something. It was stupid. I now know that I'm never going to be with her, and I'm over it."

I sighed, "There were so many problems with Lorelai and I, you know? There were so many things that we could've fixed, but we didn't put any effort into it. It was like our lives had been completely separated from each other. There were so many forces tearing us apart."

Jess studied me for a moment, and then said, "This is weird, Uncle Luke? I've never heard you talk about your feelings before."

I admitted, "Well, I guess that I'm extremely vulnerable right now."

He replied, "That's odd, because I should be making fun of you endlessly right now. Why aren't I?"

I shrugged, "We've both been through a lot, Jess. Way more than we should have to go through."

He nodded, "Those Gilmores. They really screw with our lives, don't they?"

**Thanks to ManniRenee and Aimes113 for reviewing!! Now if everyone else could follow their lead and press the pretty button then I might update faster!!!**


	3. Hiking

Jess's POV

Since when is walking continuously up and down a bunch of rocks with a forty pound bag strapped to your back supposed to be fun? Yes, that's right, Luke had somehow conned me into going on an all day hiking trip. I had no idea why I was coming with him-I could've stayed home, it's not like he's in charge of me. I also hated admitting that I was completely out of shape. Back in elementary and middle school, when Mom dated decent guys and I was still slightly innocent, I had been a pretty good baseball player. After all, I am related to the infamous Butch Danes. But when Mom started dating the abusive guys, and I lost my innocence piece by piece, baseball wasn't my priority anymore. Then I moved to Stars Hollow, and there was no way that I would play for that pile of crap that called itself a school. And besides, if I did, there would be two annoying blue-eyed girls calling me Mini-Butch or something. And here I go again. I was trying to justify my reasons for being out of shape and it still goes all the way back to the Gilmore girls. No matter what I do, I can't get them out of my head. And now I had visions of Lorelai smirking at me and saying, "Oh, Mini-Butch, you're so strong! Mini-Butch, don't walk away from me! Oh, Mini-Butch!"

I shook that disturbing thought out of my head, and realized that I was way behind Luke. He turned around, and smirked back at me, "Look who's out of shape."

I replied, "Well, hiking's never been one of my favorite pastimes."

He said, "I can clearly see that."

I said impulsively, "Luke. I'm your nephew. I deserve to know what happened with you and Lorelai."

He retorted, "No, you don't. You never told me about you and Rory."

"I didn't have to tell you. You own the town gossip mill."

I could tell that he needed to get it out, "Fine. I'll tell you if you tell me the correct version of the story."

"Correct version? There's no way the story could've changed."

"Give Miss Patty a bit of information and you won't recognize it two seconds later. Trust me, she had Kirk believing the craziest things about you."

I replied, "I don't even want to know. So, go ahead. Tell me what happened."

We had reached a clearing. He said, "Why don't we sit down for lunch, and then I can tell you."

He took a deep breath, "Our relationship hasn't been good for a while, Jess. We were living separate lives. We weren't friends anymore. Sure, she'd come in and incessantly beg for coffee and other artery clogging foods. But we never talked about anything important anymore. She used to come in and talk to me about whatever was going on with Chris or Max, or whatever guy she was dating. That all stopped. She would come in, say hi, and then we would start kissing."

I couldn't help myself, "So your relationship fell apart because there was too much kissing?"

He glared at me, "Do you want me to finish or not?"

I kept my mouth shut, and he continued, "We started keeping each other out of our lives. She wouldn't let me help her when Rory dropped out of Yale. She then told me that she used to love me, which hurt me more than anything. We didn't talk for days, and then I came back, wanting to work things out. Except that only led to more kissing. And then she thought that I had been cheating on her with Sandra."

I replied, "She's really stupid, then. Why would any sane person cheat on her?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. But she thought that I did. So she retaliated and cheated on me with Chris. But Sandra and I only kissed. Scratch that, Sandra threw herself at me and I didn't know what to do. She and Chris…you know. And maybe that's good. Maybe she and Chris do belong together."

I shook my head, "That's crap. You and Lorelai are good for each other. She can banter with you; you can feed her coffee, take care of her daughter, and be there for her. You guys are perfect for each other."

He sighed, "She's too good for me. She deserves someone like Chris who can give her everything."

I looked at him, "No, Luke, that's not true. Sure, he might be able to buy her an island. But he can't give her the love that you can."

Luke smiled at me, "You really think so? Thanks, but when we get back, I'm going to lay low for awhile. If she's with Chris, then I'm not going to bother her. She has to come to me if she still wants this. I'm not going to destroy her happiness with Chris."

This felt really weird, but I was glad that Luke and I were actually talking. When I had lived with him, it was more like, too bad, I don't have to listen to you, I'll be back sometime tonight, but it doesn't matter when, that type of relationship. I looked up at Luke, who seemed to be waiting expectantly for me to talk. This was definitely not going to be easy. I deal with my problems by ignoring them. Talking about Rory was not something that I wanted to do, just thinking about her hurt me more than anything.

I took a deep breath, and began.


	4. So Much Pain

Luke's POV

I couldn't believe that I had just told Jess about my relationship problems. He had never been exactly helpful in that area of expertise. I was glad that he'd hardly said anything majorly sarcastic, and he'd actually been helpful. This time, however, I honestly didn't think that I could go back and try to work this out with Lorelai. She was too complicated. I remembered when we broke up a year ago at her parents vow renewal, and I told her that this relationship didn't work for me, and that it was too confusing. I should've gotten out of the relationship then. I would have been spared of all the pain that I was going through now.

I shook the thought of Lorelai out of my head. It was now time for Jess to talk about Rory, who I could handle. In fact, once I heard the whole story, I probably would take Rory's side, as I normally did. Then again, she wasn't the innocent little girl who had begged me to go to her caterpillar's funeral. She had hardened around the edges, and wasn't exactly innocent anymore. I turned my attention to Jess and let him begin.

He sighed, "There's really not much to tell. I was doing fine with my life, I had a group of admirers who would do anything to go out with me, and I was actually focused on school. Then I got an email that would change everything."

I nodded, "Daisy, right?"

"Yup, she told me that Rory was a mess, and very unhappy. I started talking to Daisy more, and for some reason I thought that it would be a good idea to email you. And that led to the camping trip. I promised Daisy to go and talk to her, so I rang their doorbell. Rory answered. I had been planning to take Daisy out to lunch so we could talk. But when Rory opened the door…I almost forgot Daisy existed. Daisy jumped into my arms, and I really needed to escape."

I said, "Daisy wouldn't let you, right?"

Jess replied, "Yeah, she slipped away so I could "catch up" with Rory. Anyway, I just walked outside, and Rory kind of followed. It started off fine. We started discussing books that we had been reading. Except that Rory's taste had changed. She hadn't exactly been reading much. I guess that her boyfriend had been keeping her busy. It got me really annoyed, so I asked her what was wrong. I told her that being with this Logan guy wasn't right for her. And then I made the mistake of telling her that we belonged together."

I asked, "How is that a mistake? I mean, she knows that it's true."

Jess shook his head, "I don't know, I think that she didn't want to believe it or something. And then she found out that Daisy and I had been talking. And she blew up at me. She said that she had wanted me cut out completely from her life, and that me talking to Daisy was violating her wishes."

Wow. Maybe I was actually siding with Jess on this one, "That's wrong, Jess. Rory can't control your life, and who you're friends with."

"The sad thing is, is that Daisy really is my best friend. Anyway, I couldn't help myself. I wanted her to see that it was impossible for her to love Logan. I kissed her, and she responded. But it was Sookie's wedding all over again. She stopped herself, but this time she yelled at me. She told me that she'd much rather be with Logan than be with me."

I winced, "That's awful, Jess. But maybe she is happy with Logan. How can you know for sure?"

"That's the issue. I don't know. I just know that it's going to take me a while to get over her."

Starting the trip, I had selfishly only thought of my pain with Lorelai. But now I realized that we were both in the same boat. We both had loved and lost a Gilmore. I reached over to Jess, and hugged him. He flinched at my touch, but then let his hard shell fade away.

I said, "I'm so sorry, Jess. No one should have to go through that much pain."

He shook his head, and released himself from my grip, "No, Uncle Luke. This is what I should have been expecting. But you shouldn't have to have been hurt that much by Lorelai. She had no excuse for cheating on you, no matter what."

I smiled at Jess, "I'm glad we finally agree on one thing."

"Yeah, that all Gilmore girls are evil? We really need to leave Stars Hollow and get away from them forever.

**Thanks to ManniRenee for reviewing and for writersblock2008 to be my awesome beta!!! To everyone else, please review and let me know how I'm doing!!!**


	5. It's Almost Over

Jess's POV

I couldn't believe that we were about to leave soon. I had been dreading this camping trip more than anything, and now that it was almost over, I didn't want to go back. It was so easy being in the middle of nowhere without anyone watching you. It gave me confidence. In the woods, it would be so easy to feel that I could go to California and live a happy life with Hallie. Right now it seemed so easy to forget all the pain. It was also easy to talk to Luke. However, I knew that when we got back all of that bravado would disappear. I used to be able to pretend that I didn't have feelings, that not being with Rory and being hated by the whole town didn't hurt me. Now, I had torn out my heart and put it on my sleeve, and I hated that now everyone probably felt sorry for me. I also knew that I would probably never be as close to Luke as I was now.

I watched as he cooked us a quick breakfast, "You know, I thought that this trip would be a drag. But it's actually not that bad. It went by pretty quickly."

Luke smiled, "See! I knew that I was right."

I shook my head, "You planned this trip when everything was fine with both of us. If we had gone the moment you planned it, then the trip would suck. We would have nothing to talk about. However, since our lives are both screwed up, we actually had a lot to talk about."

He rolled his eyes, "So you're saying that we couldn't get along if we didn't have many problems."

I answered, "Think about it. The only other thing that we talked about besides the Gilmores were braiding each other's hair and the fact that being a diner boy was your life's ambition."

He shrugged, "So? We could've found other stuff to talk about."

I replied, "Maybe. It depended on the exact mood that I happened to have been in that day. I could've ignored you the whole trip and told you straight out that camping is stupid. But I also could've said thank you."

He looked astounded, "Thank you? For what?"

I sighed, "I could've told you thanks for taking me in when I was in high school. No one else would do it, and you ignored all of those townspeople, and you did care about me. I was too stupid to realize that then, but I realize that now, and I want to apologize for my behavior then."

Luke was really surprised, "Oh. Well, thank you, Jess. I'm glad that you feel that way. You weren't a burden on me at all. I mean, you did do some stupid things, but you really have grown up. And you're going to accomplish way more than I ever did. You're going to do something with your life, Jess. That's really great."

I said nonchalantly, "Thanks."

He sort of patted me awkwardly on the shoulder, and we sat there, grinning stupidly at each other.

He then asked me, "So, what do you plan to do for the week we're in Stars Hollow?"

I said, "It's going to be all about Daisy. I'm going to make sure she does well in school, and then any time she's not doing homework, we're going to be together, just talking like we used to do. If I see Rory, I'll just walk by like she's some random girl on the street."

Luke looked at me, "It sounds like you really like Daisy."

I rolled my eyes, "She's my best friend. What's not to like about her?"

He continued, "And she seems to like you a lot, too."

"So? Friends tend to like each other."

Luke shook his head, "Not the way the two of you like each other."

Now this was getting ridiculous. He thought that I could just rebound from loving Rory and go after her sister? I said, "You're right. I do love Daisy."

He smiled triumphantly, "I knew it!"

I put a hand out to stop him, "But not the way that I love Rory! I love Daisy more than anything because she is the only person that I can really talk to, besides Rory. And now that I know that I'll never have Rory, it's just down to Daisy. Besides, Daisy isn't into me like that."

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I really am sure about it. Daisy isn't the typical girl who's into boys yet. She's going at a very slow pace, which I'm glad about, because I would have to beat up any guy that tried to hurt her. She's had one boyfriend, and I wouldn't call that love. You spent so long thinking that Rory was too good for me. Then why would you want me to be with someone like Daisy?"

Luke shook his head, "Daisy has rough edges around her, just like you."

I nodded, "That's why we're only good for talking. Now stop trying to make me feel like I can get over Rory, because being with Daisy sure wouldn't help me. I'm going to go back to California, and be with Hallie."

"Because she's a math wiz?"

"Exactly. She'd help me pass my math classes, and make me look smarter. She's also a very nice person."

Luke snorted, "Babbette happens to be a very nice person. Should I ask her out when I get home?"

I rolled my eyes, "Babbette's a married woman. Are you so depressed that you would become an adulterer?"

"Are you so depressed that you'll go out with any random person on the street?"

"Oooh, Uncle Luke, good one there."

He sighed, "Jess, you really don't want to go out with this Hallie girl, do you?"

"I could settle for her. But to make you happy, maybe I'll wait a few months to see if I like someone else better."

He nodded, looking relieved, "That sounds like a good idea to me, Jess."

The subject really needed to be changed, "So, what are you going to do when you have to see Lorelai all over town?"

**Thanks to ManniRenee for reviewing!!!!!! To everyone else, please press the pretty little button!!!!**


	6. Going Home

Luke's POV

_What are you going to do when you have to see Lorelai all over town?_

I froze, knowing that I would have to answer Jess's question when I had no idea of the answer. I hadn't wanted to think that far ahead. Yes, we would be back tonight, but I wouldn't open up the diner until tomorrow. I shuddered at the thought of seeing her parade Christopher all over town. I knew that any time a girl came into my diner with brown hair and blue eyes, my thoughts would go straight to Lorelai. Anytime I saw anyone together happily, I would think of her. I knew that there was only one solution to getting her out of my head. I would have to move. But I knew that was impossible. I hated change, and I couldn't leave my dad's old store. I also knew that she would never leave my thoughts, even if I moved to California.

I shrugged, trying to appear like the question meant nothing to me, "I probably won't see her much."

He smirked, "Probably not, seeing as your diner's in the center of town."

I tried to come up with a way to avoid seeing her, "Maybe she moved to Hartford so she can be closer to Christopher."

"Yeah, right. She's the friggin' queen of Stars Hollow. Queens don't leave their palaces, even if they do rule the smallest, most screwed up town ever known to exist."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Fine. Maybe I will have to see her. But that shouldn't matter. We'll just avoid each other, and maybe I can live a peaceful life for once without her annoying me every step I take."

Jess smiled, "You know that you live for her annoying you. And I know that you're not going to be able to survive without her."

I sighed, "She survives without me fully well. I can survive without her. You're not asking me to go to her, are you? Because she has the ball now."

"I love how you're using sports analogies to talk about your love life."

I continued, "She does. She has the ball."

"And if she heard you say that, she would say Dirty!"

I tried to ignore him, "You're not helping. I kissed Sandra. She slept with Christopher. I asked her to marry me. So now it's her turn."

Jess said, "I don't see how it is. She told you that she slept with Christopher. You could've responded back."

I shook my head, "That doesn't matter. After being with Christopher, if she still really wanted me, then she would come to me. I'm not putting myself out there, Jess. It's just not happening. I don't think that I can stand talking to her again. Also, there's a big part of me that is extremely angry at her. She can't just expect me to forgive her like that. There needs to be an apology."

Jess shrugged, "If I were you, I would just go up to her and start kissing her. Then she would know that she couldn't resist you."

I couldn't help myself, "That didn't work so well for you, now did it?"

He threw his fork at me. I casually caught it, and threw it back at him. He replied, "Stop comparing Rory with Lorelai. Rory actually thinks, and her brain knows that I'm not good enough for her. Her brain knows that she could do so much better with Logan. But Lorelai is different than Rory. That's the one thing that I respect her for-she listens to her heart most of the time. She just has something blocking her being happy. But if you think about it, Rory would want to rationally sit down and discuss whatever situation she was in. I bet that when she went home, she went to her pro and con list for Logan and studied it some more. Lorelai doesn't like sitting down and talking things out extensively."

I said quietly, "That was our problem-we could never talk to each other about our problems. Besides, Lorelai might try to follow her heart but her brain kicks in right when things get serious. She can't stay in a committed relationship because she values independence more than anything. Also, Rory is a carbon copy of Lorelai, so I don't know what you're talking about."

Jess shook his head, "Rory's not a carbon copy of Lorelai. If she was, then I wouldn't love her. I couldn't deal with all of Lorelai's craziness, you're the only person I know that can put up with her."

I sighed, "Christopher's probably doing a great job of that right now."

Jess thought for a moment, "I've never been cheated on before. I've kissed Rory twice while she was in a relationship, but I've never been cheated on. But let's say that Rory had cheated on me with Dean. That would never happen, but if it did, then I would go to Dean's house with the intention of killing him."

I rolled my eyes, "You would still hate Dean even if he gave you a million dollars. So you're saying that I should punch Chris's lights out?"

"Why not? It could be entertaining."

"Nah, I wouldn't do that to Lorelai. I don't want to hurt her anymore. Let her be with Chris."

I looked at my watch, "We better head back before the people who are renting the cabin tonight come in."

Jess sighed, "I'm actually going to miss this cabin. I wouldn't mind actually sleeping on a real bed, though."

I grabbed my suitcase as we headed to the car. I casually said, "Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming here and listening to all of my problems. I really didn't need to be alone, so I'm glad that you came."

He replied, "It's no big deal, you listened to me first."

I asked him, "Is this bonding thing going to last? Or are you going to ignore all of your mother and my emails like you've done the past few years?"

He swung his back into the trunk, "Sending you an update of my life wouldn't hurt once in a while."

I smiled at him, "Good. I'm glad. It was weird having you living with me and then cutting off all contact with you. You know I don't like change."

He nodded, "Yeah. I know."

We wordlessly got into the car and drove off into what would become a harder life for both of us-life cut off from the Gilmores.

**Hey…thanks for reading!! The camping part of the trip is over, but I thought I would put in Jess's reaction when he and Rory get back together, and Luke's reaction when he and Lorelai get back together, so that's two more chapters. I'll update it quicker if you guys review and let me know what you think!!!**

**Thanks to ManniRenee for being such an awesome reviewer!!**


	7. I Want My Dodger Back

**This is Jess' POV, taking place around chapter 17 of The New Gilmore, "Waking Up". Enjoy!!!!!!  
**

I was just finishing wiping down the tables in the diner when I heard the door opening. I looked up, and saw Rory. The sight of her literally made my palms go sweaty and my heart start beating. I turned around so she wouldn't see how nervous I was. I had just started to get her out of my head. The only Gilmore that had come to the diner was Daisy, and I could handle her. Looking at Daisy didn't make me think of Rory, because they were so different, and I was used to being with Daisy. Besides, she hadn't been prying into my feelings or anything. We only talked about studying and her getting into UConn. I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing Rory alone.

Rory's soft voice broke into my thoughts, "Hey, you."

I ignored her, but she continued, "Listen, Jess, I know that you're mad at me. And I would be mad at me, too. Because I'm a really stupid person."

I wanted to reassure her, and tell her she wasn't stupid. Instead, I said, "Well, you have been acting extremely dull-witted lately."

Tears formed in her beautiful blue eyes, and I instantly regretted my harsh words. I began to apologize, when she shook her head, "I don't know why I keep crying today! You've said mean things to me before, and this barely counted as mean. I don't even know why I'm here!"

I said, "Well, why don't you just back out quietly and go to Logan. I'm sure that he'll dry your tears."

She shook her head, "No. I came here for a reason, and we are going to sit down like adults and talk that reason out."

I replied, "Rory, you can't come back and expect me to take you again just because you feel like you need someone to take care of you. You hurt me last week, Rory. You can't come in here and expect everything to be better. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

I walked upstairs, and she followed me, "What, you don't have anywhere else to go?"

She said, "Jess, I'm so sorry! I do want you, I really do. It's just so hard for me to take that leap of faith with you. Being with you brings out the most exhilarating feelings that I've ever experienced. And when you left for California, I pushed those feelings away and pretended to be someone that I'm not. That fake person did love Logan very much. She would've married him. But she wouldn't have always been happy, because once in a while that person would've remembered her old life. You are the only guy that knows the real me, Jess. With Dean, he was the person that I could feel safe with. With Logan, I found someone that I loved who loved me back. I felt older with him, like I was finally in an adult relationship. But that's not what I want. Being an adult is boring. I want to be a teen again, with crushes, and Jess, I have a crush on you. And now I'm rambling on and on, and all I want is for everything to be all right again. I want my Dodger back, damn it!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I didn't want to sound too excited. I wanted to clear some things up first, "You have a crush on me, but you're in an adult relationship and in love with Logan?"

She shook her head, "No, Jess, I'm not ready for an adult relationship yet. It's too soon, and with the wrong guy. I said that I want to go back to being a teen because everything was so right then. I want our relationship to grow like it never got to grow before!"

I sighed, "What if you're too late? What if I don't love you anymore?"

She sounded confident, "You did last week."

"Last week you broke my heart, Rory. You can't expect me to just let you in so you can rip my heart apart again."

Rory curled a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "I know that I was awful. But the reason that I couldn't be with you then was because I had to fix my life. And everything's fixed now, so I'm fully ready."

"Everything's fixed? Rory, I don't see how that's possible. Are you and Logan over?"

She took a deep breath, "Yes, I think we are."

"You think that you are? Rory, that's not good enough. I don't want you running to me just because you have problems in your relationship."

Rory said, "My relationship with Logan was absolutely perfect."

"Then why aren't you in his arms?"

She put her hands over her eyes, and then looked up at me with a tired look, "I've been asking myself that all day. I broke up with him, and then cried hysterically for hours. I've been wondering how that can be good for me, that if I was crying, shouldn't I be with him? But then I thought of what it would feel like to be with you again. And that made me stop crying. It's going to be hard to let go. I still love him. But I love you with an indescribable passion. I hate putting myself out here like this, Jess. I don't want to talk anymore, I just want to be with you."

I said, "Tell me why you broke up with Logan."

"Logan was fun to be with for a while. I was his first real girlfriend. He had never been serious about anything. Part of the reason that I loved him was that I knew he had to love me. If I could be his first serious relationship, then I must be important. I was Logan's first love. And now he can move on to someone else who loves him just as much as he loves them. This morning, he was talking about marriage, and living in Martha's Vineyard this summer. I couldn't deal with that. While I was his first serious girlfriend, he was someone that I didn't want to be serious with. I didn't want to marry him, Jess. It was unfair to lead him on."

Now I was really sure that she wanted me. I just hoped that she didn't still love that blonde prep boy, and that she could focus entirely on me. However, I needed to talk to someone first.

Rory asked, "Jess? Jess? Where are you going? Am I too late? Did you get over me in a week?"

I slowly pressed my fingers to her lips, and I could feel her body responding to my touch. I yearned to feel more of that, but I had some business to take care of. I whispered, "I'll be right back."

I stepped outside. It was dinnertime now, and all of the diners were looking at me curiously. I wasn't sure if I would succumb to being with Rory. I didn't want to be hurt again. I called Daisy, just to get some advice, but I was barely listening to her. All I know is that she told me to go for it, and then she called me a softie. I hung up without even remembering if I had said goodbye.

I walked back upstairs, and into the room. Rory sat on the bed, and she looked even more beautiful than I had remembered her. I leaned in, and kissed her slowly. She responded, and it was the most amazing experience. Right when it started to get more passionate, I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. I said, "I love you, Rory."

She whispered, "I love you, too. And I really mean it. But I need space from all guys. I promised it to my mom, and I agree with her. It'll be good for me."

I nodded, "So we'll talk later?"

Rory smiled, "Yeah, I'd like to visit you at school. And when I visit you, we can start our relationship. Deal?"

I said, "Deal." I hoped that the next time I saw her she would be over Logan. I kissed her softly on the lips. She stood up, and walked downstairs with a big smile on her face. I finally had my Rory. Life suddenly seemed much better.

**Thanks to ManniRenee, who is a doubly awesome amazing reviewer!!!! Could everyone else please let me know what they think?? I know at least 20 of you are reading this!!**


	8. Together

**This takes place during Chapter 28 of The New Gilmore, "Dreaming About It All". Luke's POV.**

I watched as Lorelai hugged Chris goodbye. As he walked out the door, he gave me a look, and I could tell that he was finally at peace with me. Now that he knew that he had lost Lorelai forever, he was giving me permission to be with her. I heard Lorelai whisper my name, and with that one word, I knew that I was never going to leave her side again. I looked around the room. My "daughters", Rory and Daisy were smiling at me happily, glad that everything was okay. While I was pulling the ring out of my pocket, I caught Emily's eye. She looked at me, and nodded, and I realized that I was finally accepted into that crazy Gilmore world. And there was no turning back.

I stepped forward, and offered her the ring. The same ring that I'd held in my hands when she told me that she slept with Christopher. The same ring that I'd shown her when she agreed to marry me, but she had lost her memory, so it almost didn't count. But now? This was the real thing. She had her memory back, and her eyes were drawing me into her. I almost couldn't think anymore. I took her hands into mine, and slowly leaned in. We shared an amazing kiss, one of the best ones we've ever had. I couldn't believe that, after all of these years, there was still so much passion.

That night, I was extremely nervous. Since we were engaged, Lorelai had asked me to move in with her. She couldn't move that well due to all of her broken bones, and she didn't want to put all of the responsibility on Daisy to take care of her. I cooked Lorelai the unhealthiest food possible, just because I was so happy that she was home, and that she'd gotten out of her coma. Daisy and I ate normal food. Then Daisy went upstairs to do some homework, even though I knew that she was just trying to leave us alone.

Lorelai grinned up at me, "Hey, Butch."

I growled at her, "Don't you dare call me that."

"But you are my strong Butch who's taking care of me, and making me feel so much better."

I smirked at her, "Well, do you know how to make me feel better?"

She winked at me, "I think that I do."

I sat on the couch next to her, and we kissed for the longest time. Just as I could barely control my impulses anymore, she broke away, and said breathlessly, "Luke. Kid in the house."

My heart had just begun to calm down. I replied, "We shouldn't be moving too fast anyway. We need this to be good this time."

She sighed, "So I have to wait to get serious with you?"

I took her hands in mine, "We've been serious for the past few years. Yes, we've had some painful separations, but I have always loved you. So I think that it would be good to wait for a while. Besides, you're injured. I have to take care of you."

She smiled at that, "I like that idea, Luke. I really like that."

Her serious expression turned to playful when she said, "So does that mean that you're going to cater to me every second of my life? This is going to be fun!"

I rolled my eyes, "Ever since I met you, I've been catering to you day in and day out. Why should this be any different?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Because I don't have to feel guilty this time for making you do all the work. This time I actually have a reason."

I smiled at her, "You know that I don't mind doing any work for you, Lorelai."

"I know. That's why I love you so much."

We sat there smiling goofily at each other like we were teenagers or something. My phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID, it was Jess.

I answered it, "Hey, Jess."

He said, "Congrats, Uncle Luke."

"On what?"

"On your impending marriage."

I said, "My impending marriage? Geez, Jess, how did you find out?"

His answer was simply, "Rory."

I couldn't help smiling, "Guess that we ended up okay. Our camping trip was sort of useless, then."

"Why do you say that?"

I answered, "Because all we did on that trip was complain about how we would never find our loves. I guess that we both found them."

He replied, "Yeah, but if we hadn't gone on the trip, I never would've had the courage to come back East and try to get back with Rory. And I never would've talked to you. Strangely, I missed you."

"Well, Jess, you know that you're welcome to stay anytime. And you helped me too. You helped me figure out my priorities, and the top one's sitting right here."

"Tell Lorelai I say hi."

I responded, "Will do. Bye, Jess. Call again soon."

"I will. Bye."

That was an actual conversation without any major sarcasm or yelling. Surprise. Lorelai interrupted my thoughts, "I'm a top priority?"

I leaned in and kissed her slowly. Then I reached in and gave her a hug, "From now on, and for the rest of my life, you are my only major priority."

**Thanks to writersblock2008 for being an awesome beta and to ManniRenee for being the best reviewer that a girl could ask for. To everyone else, please please please please review!!!!!!**

**A sequel to The New Gilmore, California Romance, is coming out next. It's when Rory and Daisy go to California to stay with Jess. It's actually partly about Daisy and her relationship problems. If at least 10 people review, then I'll go straight to California Romance. But if not enough people review, then I'm going to work on a Dean oneshot and a Rory/Lorelai oneshot first. Thanks again for reading!!!**


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